Improved corn-planter



' 1. WATERMAN.

Cforn Planter.

No 42 612. Patented .May 3, 1864.

l ...5TG1 affix @fyi I J NJHERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAFHER. wASmNGmN D c andconducting-tubes.

UNITED STATnsV PATENT Trier),

JOHN WATERMAN, or KEOKUK, IOWA.

lMPROVEDpCORN-PLANTER.`

Specification forming part ofrLetters Patent No. 4l2,6l21., dated May 3,M64.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WATERMAN, of Keokuk, in the county of Lee andState of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Seeder and PlanterCombined, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this speciiicatiomin which- Figure lis a planof my improved machine, a portion of the hopper being broken away toexpose the relative positions of the coverers Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof the same, partly in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in theseveral figures.

This invention consists in a novel machine of simple and cheapconstruction, which, besides being superior in its operation as a seederor corn-planter, is adapted to be converted with facility into anadjustable harrow, as will be hereinafter explained.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

YIn the accompanying drawings, A A represent the outer beams of aconverging frame, which are hinged or pivoted at front to the parallelcentral beams, B B. The beams B B are securely connected together by arod, C, passing through lugs c c.

D DV represent smaller diagonal beams, which are also hinged or pivotedto the central beams, B. The object in thus attaching the beams D andalso the beams A is to allow the adjustment of the teeth or plows whenthe machine is converted into a harrow, as will be explained.

E represents a hopper mounted upon metallic supports E E, which arefastened to and near the rear ends of the beams A A.

F represents the slide, which may be reci procated by the hand-lever Gwhen the machine is being used as a corn-planter, or by other suitablemechanism when smaller grain is to be sown.

The operation of the slide F is designed to be facilitated by theemployment of a spiral spring, H, which acts to restore the closedcondition of the hopper when the lever G has been thrown in the properdirection to open the apertures in the hopper.

I I represent adjustable and removable boxes, into which the corn to beplanted is placed.

Ihe hopper, in the present illustration of my invention, is providedwith four apertures for the passage of grain. Over each aperture in thehopper one of the boxes I may be placed, so as to plant four hills atevery movement of the lever G, or one or more may be slid from over theaperture or apertures, and the remainder ot' them adjusted over theports through which it is desired to have the grain pass.

J J may represent the conducting-tubes applied to the hopper in theusual manner. These tubes are arranged to work directly in the rear ofthe drill-teeth, indicated by the letter K.

K K2 represent coverers secured in the rear ends of bent arms orsupports k la. The deflected portions of the arms k are screw-threadedand fit in corresponding apertures in the beams D D, and the position ofthe coverers K with relation to the conductingtubes may be varied, ascircumstances may require, by means of adjustable nuts cl k2 on thethreaded portions of the arms k, which nuts are applied and adapted towork one on each side ofthe respective beams D D. The arms 7c of thecoverers k2 are adj usted in the desired position by nuts k3 k3, and thedeflected threaded portions of said arms 7c may also serve to connect tothe beams A metallic frames L L, in each of which may work a roller, L.

M M may represent wheels, whereby may be performed the double functionof supporting the machine and limiting the depth to which thedrill-teeth K and coverers K Kz penetrate. The shanks m of the wheels Mare secured and turn loosely within a hollow threaded standard, M',which rises from a disk, M2, and which works within a correspondingaperture in the bar N.

N represents a circular nut, by means of which the screw M can berigidly retained in any position in which it may be placed, and the saidnut N is adapted to be more readily manipulated by a small handle, u.The respective ends ofthe bars N are screwed tothe beams A and D.

To each end of the beams B is fastened a metallic plate or bar, O, whichprojects in an outward direction, and is overlapped by a similar plate7O', projecting from the beams A. These plates may each be held immovlably together by a thumb screw, o7 which works in a bracket-shapedstandard, 0.

P represents a wheel, which may be pivoted between the beams B B. Thiswheel serves to support the front of the machine and expedites theturning thereof.

Operation: The remarks accompanying the above description of theconstruction of the machine will serve to explain the manner in which itoperates when used as a seeder or corn-planter.

To convert the machine into an efficient harrow, it will only berequired to remove the hopper E, bars N, and rollers L', together withthe respective appurtenances of each. As these members are connected tothe main body of the machine by the ordinary screws and nuts7 littledifiiculty will -be met with in disconnecting them. After this has beenaccomplished, the several beams may have an additional number ofcultivator-teeth inserted and secured in apertures with which they maybe providecl',\vhen the machine will constitute a har-row admirablyadapted to perform the work of this implement. The hinged beams A D maybe readily contracted into a smaller compass when the machine isconverted into a harrow by unscrewing the thumb-screw 0. By thesescrews, as employed in connection with the plates O, the beams may befirmly adjusted in any position which they may occupy. The rod() andlugs c cform a horizontal hinge, whereby either side of the harrow maybe elevated with facility to avoid obstacles.

This machine is simple, may be constructed at little cost, and willconstitute a most serviceable implement forV the farmer.

Having thus described my invention, the

following is what I claim as new thereinand desire to secure by LettersPatent:

l' The adj usmble bOXeS I, employed in coin."I l

bination with the hopper. E, to plant any desirable number of hills ofcorn at each motion of the slide, or adapt the machine to conform to thevarious distances at which the relative hills may be formed.

2. In combination with a seeder constructed as described,thelaterally-adjustable coverers K K k k', constructed and operatedsubstantially as specified.

The above speciiication of my improvement in corn-planters signed this6th day of October, 1863.

JOHN WATERMAN Witnesses:

CHARLES DU Bois, CI-mRLEs D. SMITH.

